Grading and dirt-transferring apparatus



- Feb. 7, 1 .28- 1,658,398

w. SEAMAN GRADING AND DIRT TRANSFERRING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 11, .1925 2 Sheets- Sheet 1 Chum- Feb. 7, 1928. 1,658,398

W. SEAMAN GRADING AND DIRT TRANSFERRING APPARATUS Filed NOV. 11, 1925 2 SheetS- Sheet 2 album Patented Feb. 7, 1928 UNITED STATE [WAL R sna vmn, OF AuBUnn, wasnmei'on.

GRADING nn nm r-raausiinnnme ma Application filed November My present invention. pertains to appa: ra'tus for operating on." roads and other places for the gradingthereof; and it has for its general object the provision ofa1iap paratus designed more especially for the grading and buildingxof roads, the. appa-v ratus being characterized by the capaoityto lift dirt from a road insuch a manner as to leaveasmooth and level surface, and to transfer the dirt so lifited to a point at one side of the apparatus: or to a wagon positioned alongside the apparatus and intended to haul the dirt away. r

The apparatusis susceptible of adjustment to assure operation of all of its parts to the best advantage, and with the fore going object in mind the invention in all of its details will be fully understood from the following description and claims when the same are read in connection With the draw ings, accompanying and forming part of this specification, in which za Figure 1 is a top plan view of the apparatus which in all essential features constitutes the best practical embodiment of my invention of which I am cognizant.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the apparatus. e c

Figure 3 is a vertical transverse section, taken in the plane indicated by the line 33 of Figure 2, looking rearwardly,

Figure a a fragmentarylongitudinal section taken through a portion of the rtary lifter of my improvement, and showing scoops comprised in said rotary lifter,

I Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view illustrating a feature of my improvement hereinafter explicitly alluded to.

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all of the views of the drawing. 7 L j" In the preferred embodiment of my invention all of the parts of the apparatus are constructed of metal. I VVOLLlClllZIYG it understood, however, that it is Within the pur- View of my invention to make the different parts of the apparatus of any, material or materials best suited :to the functions of said parts. I n I Among other elements the apparatus com prises a main frame having spaced side .portions 1.- The forward portion of the said main framelis mounted on a pivotally con w nected axle 2, equipped With Wheels .3, and adapted for the connection of draft animals with theappaiatus. l would-have it under- 11, 1925s Serial m. 68,340.

stood, however, in this connection that withvout affecting my-invention in any respect, provision may be made for the propulsion shaft 5 is jour'naled in bearings fixed adjacent, to the rear end of the main frame, and is provided at itsends with crank arms 7. The main framefis provided with rear uprights 8, Figures 1, 2 and 5, and straddling thesaid uprightsS are U-shaped members 9 With Which the said arms 70f the shaft 5 are connect d by links 10. The axle 11 of the rear Wheels 12 of the apparatus is journaled in the said members 9, and hence it will be manifest that when theshaft 5 on the rear portion of the main frame is rocked in one direction, the main frame will be raised, While when said shaft!) is rocked in the opposite direction the mainframe will a be lowered. For the convenient adjusting and adjustable fixing of the rock shaft 5, I provide a segmental rack 13 fixed on the main frame, and a hand lever ll fixed with respect to the rock cjshaft 5 and equipped with a detent 15 for cooperation with the a said segmental rack.

l/ h p rred emb dim nt .q y nvention, the arms of the shafteare conthe before mentioned-links'lO are connected d c ly t Sai 'QdlB- Arranged transversely in the mainframe of the apparatus and fixed in approvedvmannor with respect to the said frame isfa cylindrical conductor 17 A open at its upperside as indicated by 18, Figures 1,3 andt. One end of the transverse conduit 17 isclosed as indicated by 19, and the opposite end'portion of the said conduit is extended laterally outward beyond the .adjacentframe l and is open as designated by 20: Arranged and cnected together by aqtransverse, rod 16, and

prises a rotary lifter 30, and-a lateral car- 1 rier 31. The saidrlifter is designed more especially for use infgra'ding Ioperationaand as" its name imports it is adaptedt o-raise dirt from the ground a;; the dirt raising func- .tionloeing performed by scoops 32 of which there may be any desired number according to the size of the rotary lifter. T he said scoops 32 are preferably shaped as shown-bestin I heads 33 comprised in'the rotary lifter, will operate to take dirt from the ground and incident to suclroperation will accomplish a grading function, and then will lift or elevate the dirt and discharge the same to the transverse conduit 17through the opening '18 thereof. I 1

' As will be understood from Figures 1, 2 and 3, the. lateral carrier before referred to, is preferably made up of f -ame sides spaced apart andpivotally connected at 41 to the main fran'ie, and an endless apron 42 disposed and movable between the said frame sides 40. The upper stretch of the apron 12 is so relatively arranged as to receive dirt from the open end of the transverse conduit 17 irrespective of whether the carrier 31 is in horizontal position as shown in Figure 3 or is in inclined position as for the delivery of dirt to a wagon positioned "alongside the novel apparatus. Standards are fixed to and rise" from one side of the main frame of the apparatus, and in said standards is journaled shaft 51 having a crank 52 and also having a toothed wheel 53, the latter for cooperation with a dog 54;. Cables 55 are connected to and adapted to be wound upon the shaft 51, and

said cables are connected at 56 to the outer portion of the frame sides of the carrier 31.

From this provision it follows that the lat cral carrier 31 may be conveniently and quickly'raised and lowered, and may be adjustablymaintained in a horizontal position or in various, inclined positions as occasion requires. i

preference the engine 1 is employed for the operation of the screw conveyer 21, the rotary lifter 30 and the endless apron 12 of the carrier 31. Toward the said end the crank shaft 60 of the engine -ii. is connected by sprocket gearing (51 with a t 'ansverse shaft (52 carried by the main frame' (lnc end of the said shaft (32 is connected by sprocketgearing 63 to the shaft portion (i i on the conveyor 21 for the rotation of. the latter about its axis. The opposite end of the shaft (52 is provided with a miter gear (35, in mesh with a miter gear 66 on a longitudinal inclined shaft 67, the said shaft '67 being appropriately connected to the shaft 41 on which the frame sides of the carrier 31 are swingabl'e as before described.

The shaft 11 is equipped with a roller for i the transmission of motion to the'endless apron 42 and hence it will be manifest that movement of the apron 12 will attend rotatioil of'the engine shaft 60. A large sprocket gear 70 is fixed with respect to one end of the rotary lifter 30, and said gear 70 is connected to a sprocket belt 71 with a sprocket gear 72 on the shaft 62, and hence when the engine shaft 60 and the shaft 62 apparatus, the apparatus is moved forward ly at a proper rate of speed, and so that the correctly positioned lifter- 30 will raise a load of dirt evenly, and leave the surface acted upon by the lifter smooth and level. Manifestly my novel apparatus has the ca pacity of lifting dirt from a road and discharging the dirt to one side of the road, or to lift; dirt from the side of the road and discharge it on the road, or to lift the dirt from any desired point and discharge the dirt into trucks or wagons placed in succession alongside the apparatus, the dirt in that case being hauled to a suitable point of discharge.

hlanifestly by adjustment of the lever 1 1 and adjustable fixing thereof, the rotary lifter 30 may be nicely adjusted relative to the surface to be operated upon.

One of the important features of my invention is the compactness of the apparatus when the capacity of function of the apparatus is considered, the rotar lifter 30, the screw conveyer 21, and the lateral carrier 31 being all arranged and adapted to operate in a line which renders it feasible to make the apparatus quite short, and thereby renders the apparatus much more inexpen sive than would otherwise be the case.

I have specifically described the con structi on and relative arrangement of the parts em braced in the present and preferred embodiment of my invention in. order to impart an exact understanding of said embodiment in all of its details. I donot desire, however,,to be understood as confining myself to the specific construction and arrangement of parts as disclosed, my invention residing in the structure defined by my appended claims, and within the scope of said claims various changes and nimlitications may be ma do without departure from my invention. For instance whileI prefer to employ the screw conveyor 21 relatively arranged as shown and described, I desire it-distinctly understood that in the relation in which the screw ate type of conveyer may be used without affecting my invention as claimed.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters-Pat ent, is Y 1 In 'anapparatus for lifting and bandling dirt, the combination of a main frame Hill lln

neeasos appropriately supported atone end, rear wheels, means for adjusting and adjustably fixing the rear portion of the frame relative to said wheels, and ground lifting and -handling means carried by the said frame; the said wheels being carried by an axle, and the said axle being mounted in vertically movable parallel members guided at the end of the frame, andthe said vertically movable members being'connected with a lever associated with means foradjustably fixing the same. I V

2. An earth'lifting and handling apparatus comprising a frame, said frame adjustable verticallyv relative to the ground,

transverse conduit carried in the frame and having an opening in its top and also having an open end, said end extending laterally outward beyond the frame, a rotary lifter movable about said transverse conduit, and

having shovels adapted to raise dirt and discharge the same through the openlng 1n the top of the conduit, a screw conveyer in said conduit, and a vertically swingable lateral carrier connected with the frame and. arranged toreoeive dirt from the open end of the conduit and deliver the dirt at one side of the apparatus.

3. In an apparatus for lifting and handling dirt, the combination of a main frame appropriately supported at one end and havvertically on the said uprights and receiv ing and carrying said axle, a shaft mounted on the main frame and having cranks connected with said U-shaped members, a

lever fixed to said shaft, means whereby said lever may, be adjustably fixed, and ground lifting and handling means carried by the main frame.

4. In an apparatus for operating on and handling d1rt,- the combination of a main frame, means for supporting opposite end portions of said frame in spacedrelation to means for achustably fixing the frame, a

the ground. a transversetubular conduit arranged, in the main frame at air-intermediate point in the length thereof and closed at one end and open at its opposite end and having. an opening in its top, a conveyor in said tubular conduit for moving dirt toward the open end thereof, a rotary lifter mounted on and turnable about the said tubular conduit at opposite ends of the opening in the top of said conduit, with a conveyor carried by and extending laterally from the main frame and having its receiving portion disposed under the discharge end of said tubular conduit.

In testimony whereofI aflix my signature.

WALTER SEAMAN. 

